Contending With Extremist
Islam and Creating
A Success Story, Too

By

Norman Stone

Updated Sept. 19, 2001 12:01 a.m. ET

Whenever there is a crisis over the Mideast, Turkey comes into its own, and the latest troubles are no exception. Colin Powell, it is reported, has telephoned the Turkish foreign minister about joining a coalition against terrorism, and of course Turkey is a crucial NATO ally and staging ground for warplanes in the region. But Turkey is important in this crisis for another reason as well: It has long had to face extremist-Islamic attacks, and it has been robustly defended by a powerful military structure against enemies who would like to see the end of its secular, parliamentary and pro-Western order. No wonder the...